Sick Day
by HerRenegadeHeart
Summary: Kara takes a sick day of sorts. (Set after 1x03.)


_Author's Notes:_ I absolutely love the dynamic between Kara and Alex and this was just a random idea that popped into my head. Set after 1x03.

* * *

It was the second time she'd walked in on them and this time had been so, _so_ much worse. She could have slipped away unseen if not for the small, traitorous squeak of distress that had slipped free from her throat without permission the moment she'd spotted James with his lips pressed firmly against Lucy's. And then when he'd pulled back from the other ( _gorgeous_ , her also-traitorous mind unhelpfully supplied) woman to see Kara standing there? Well, she could have very well died on the spot.

Regrettably, no death had occurred. Instead, Kara had sputtered a mortified "S-sorry," before she darted out the room. Or perhaps she'd flown? There was a lot of panic happening in the moment, so she really couldn't be too sure.

She was now back at her apartment, alternating between pacing the length of the place frantically and lying down face-first on her sofa, smothering her pathetic whimpers in her IKEA throw pillows.

There was a crisp knock on her door. She didn't even need to use her x-ray vision to know who it was.

Kara quickly crossed the room and opened the door to her sister's bland expression. Alex raised eyebrow, no doubt in response to Kara's haggard appearance. "You texted me."

"Yes."

Alex held up a baggy which Kara promptly snatched from her fingers. "It said, 'nine-one-one'?" the older Danvers sister continued.

"It's an emergency."

"It also said 'bring cupcakes'."

"I need them." Kara immediately proceeded to accost the bag, trying to get the deliciousness out without crushing anything.

Alex blinked slowly. "What are you doing, Kara?" she asked. "It's one o'clock in the afternoon. On a _Tuesday_."

Kara chewed her bottom lip for a beat, debating before quickly replying, "I'm sick." She turned away from her sister and headed back to the couch as Alex walked inside and closed the door behind her.

"Um, in case you forgot, you're an alien and you don't get sick."

"Well, I did and I am." After dropping the container of cupcakes on the coffee table, Kara flopped forward and curled up on her side, hugging a pillow to her chest. She coughed twice, just because it seemed the thing to do.

Alex squinted her eyes at her little sister. "Uh huh." She tossed her purse into a chair and pulled off her coat, dropping it on top of the purse.

Kara frowned, eyes darting from the cupcakes to Alex. "You're not allowed to find fault in my absolutely-real illness. No hole-poking!"

"With a story as weak as that, those holes are more like gaping craters and they make themselves with no poking from me at all," Alex pointed out. "I mean, the last time you attempted to use the 'sick' excuse was when you were fifteen and you saw David Weller holding hands with Courtney DeLuca."

Kara winced. She'd been convinced for quite a while that she and David Weller were meant to be. "Can we not discuss that? It's still too soon." Some wounds couldn't be healed, not even with ten years time and great distances.

Alex crossed her arms and stared the indestructible woman on the couch. "Kara…"

Kara chewed her bottom lip.

"Kara."

"Okay, fine!" She sat up and threw her hands in the air. "I'm taking the day off."

There was a pause before Alex asked, "Are you even allowed to do that?"

"What? I-uh…um…" Kara frowned yet again. She'd never ever taken a day off of work before, not even half a day, because, as her sister had pointed out, she didn't actually get sick. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even entirely sure what the procedure for requesting the day off was or if Cat would even allow it. She'd sort of just… left without a word.

Her face immediately paled. "She's going to fire me. Oh my God, I'm going to be fired. I've had a lot of close calls, sure, but nothing like this, not really. I-I-I need to, uh…I need to- I need to—" She really needed to go back to work and pronto! …But then she remembered her reason for leaving and groaned, sinking sideways onto the couch again and shoving her face into the pillow she'd been hugging.

"Kara."

She felt Alex sit down next to her and try to pull the pillow away, but Kara wouldn't let go. Instead she just made a high-pitched keening sound of desperation in response.

With a grunt, Alex yanked harder and managed (somehow) to wrangle the pillow out of Kara's grip. She tossed it onto the chair across from the couch. "Call Winn."

"Huh?"

"Call Winn, tell him you need to take the rest of the day off, and have him cover for you," Alex said calmly. "He does it while you're out Supergirl-ing, right?"

"He and James do," Kara replied automatically, but then just saying his name reminded her of why she was lying on her couch in the middle of the workday. She slapped her hands over her face and groaned. "Please," she whimpered, "shoot me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "One, you're being over-dramatic and two, you're bulletproof," she deadpanned.

Kara grumbled, "Why must you use logic on me when I'm sick?"

"Why must _you_ be vague instead of just telling me what's wrong?" Alex countered. "You do realize that I actually have a job, too, right? That I'm supposed to be at that job right now? Also, I had to deal with Director Henshaw's suspicious glare when I told him that 'Supergirl needed my help with something'. If he found out that I was just bringing you cupcakes—"

"Nine-one-one cupcakes!" Kara interjected.

"—He would narrow his eyes at me further and very likely growl about inappropriate use of company time or some such." She adopted a stiff posture and a grumpy face, dropping an octave as she enacted, "'DEO work hours are not to be spent making snack deliveries to your alien sister, Agent Danvers, an alien sister who, need I remind you, could very well make it to the bakery and back before you could even make it to the parking lot.' That is what he would say, and I really don't enjoy being growled at."

Kara sat back up, a small smile on her lips. Alex wasn't much for theatrics and she also didn't usually speak ill of Henshaw (let alone impersonate him). It wasn't because she always thought so highly of the man, but more so, Kara thought, because Alex possibly believed that he could hear her no matter where she was. (If she was honest, Kara could easily imagine him planting listening devices all over the place or something equally as sneaky and intrusive.) This all just meant that Alex was attempting to make her feel better and Kara appreciated it. "I'm sorry. I just really needed cupcakes…"

There was a pause and then Alex slouched back into the couch. "Are you going to tell me why?" she asked. "Does this have something to do with a certain handsome photojournalist?"

"I-uh…" Kara easily picked up on the amused hint in Alex's tone and it made her feel suddenly grumpy again, almost to the point where she felt like lying and saying no, despite the fact it likely wouldn't have worked considering what a terrible liar she was. She just didn't want her sister to make fun of her. She wanted Alex to be understanding.

Alex seemed to notice the struggle on her face because she raised an eyebrow and motioned to the box of cupcakes on the coffee table. "Sticky buns for breakfast always, pizza when you're starving and need something fast, cupcakes for when you're feeling emotional. I know you, Kara. Tell me what happened."

Kara sighed. "I…" She took a breath… and then blurted, "I-walked-in-on-them."

Alex, clearly used to Kara speaking a mile-a-minute, asked, "Them being…?"

"…James and Lucy."

"Didn't this already happen? Didn't you already tell me about this?"

"No. Well, yes. I did walk in on them before, but I did it again."

"Oh."

"'Oh' is right. But this time… I mean, _really,_ it's a place of work! Couldn't she have just waited until he was off or something? Talk about not respecting the workplace. And him, well, he-he-he should have been working! In his office. …His place of work. And then to be doing _that_. Come on!"

Alex waved her off into silence. "Whoa, whoa, what? Doing what?"

Kara struggled for a moment to meet her sister's eyes, but finally, rather reluctantly, she did. "Kissing." She couldn't keep the mortification out of her tone.

"Kissing."

"Yes. He— She was— They were kissing. In the middle of his office! On a Tuesday, at eleven forty-two! Who does that?!" She grabbed a blue-frosted cupcake and took an angry bite of it. "Seriously… during work hours…" She deflated and slumped further into the couch.

A look of understanding dawned across Alex's face. "So you _are_ sick."

Kara gave her sister a sideways look. "Huh?"

"You're sick. _Heart_ sick."

Kara blinked. "What? Noooo. It has— I am not— No." She took another bite of the cupcake, chewing for a beat before tucking it into her cheek and saying, "I, uh, I just think there are better times and places for that sort of thing…"

Alex looked decidedly unimpressed with the excuse. "If that's true, if you aren't upset about this, why exactly would you need nine-one-one cupcakes?"

Kara frowned. "I…"

"Kara…"

"I'm just… disappointed." She listed sideways and leaned her head against Alex's shoulder. "They were _kissing_ , Alex."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Kissing? Kissing means something. Dinner and then kissing. That means _something_."

"Well, maybe, but it doesn't mean that he's in love with her, or that they're in a relationship."

Kara sighed. "But they have history, Alex. And she's… well, she's gorgeous and I'm-I'm—"

"—Supergirl?"

"An alien."

"His best friend is an alien, Kara," Alex pointed out. "And I've seen how he looks at you. Your Kryptonian heritage is the last thing he sees when you walk into the room."

Kara felt her cheeks heat at the thought. "What? No. I don't think—"

"No, the problem is you think _too_ much and don't allow yourself just to see, to feel. James Olsen thinks you're adorable—"

Kara frowned. "'Adorable' is what you'd say about a child, Alex, or a puppy," she moaned. "I am a big, bumbling alien puppy to James and you don't date puppies."

"So you _do_ want to date him?"

Kara snapped her eyes up at her sister's amused tone. "What? No, that's n-not what I said. I was just… I'm just…"

"Disappointed about not being his puppy?"

"That… that doesn't even make any sense." Kara saw her sister's barely-concealed grin and frowned. "You're a brat."

"A brat who left work in the middle of the day to bring her not-sick sister nine-one-one cupcakes. I'd say you could do worse."

 _That's certainly true,_ Kara mentally conceded, feeling some of her grumpiness fade and her expression softened. She didn't know anyone else who would do that for her. _Save maybe Winn…_ The latter thought, though, and the reasons behind her best friend's devotion was not something she was going to dwell on right now, she decided.

"Anyway," Alex continued, "you didn't let me finish. What I was saying was, James thinks you're adorable and strong, and capable and funny, and overall, just—"

"If you say 'super', I swear…"

Alex snorted, then gave Kara a pointed look. " _Amazing,_ " she replied, smirking, "And he's right. You're all of those things and so much more."

"Awww, Alex…" Kara said in both embarrassment and amusement.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I said that's what _James_ thought," she teased. "I didn't say anything about _me_."

Kara gasped in feigned offense and swatted Alex's leg, laughing in merriment when Alex winced and rubbed the abused spot. She hadn't even hit her hard.

"No more compliments for you," Alex grumbled.

Kara just laughed again and then hugged her sister from the side.

They just stayed like that for a few minutes, Kara pressed into Alex's side, arms around her and head resting against her shoulder, while Alex absentmindedly drew little shapes with her finger on the arm Kara had draped across her.

"Thank you for coming over," Kara murmured into the silence. She had sobered again and was beginning to feel a bit sleepy.

Alex gave a small nod. "Any time." She took another moment and then dragged her gaze from whatever it was across the room that she had been staring at, turning her head to look at Kara. "Look, if he's going to continue to let Lucy Lane… I don't know, distract him, he's not worth it. Let's be real, it's not even like she's _Lois_ Lane. That might be impressive if he was dating her, but Lucy?" She made a "pfft" sound.

"…But she's actually really nice," Kara said slowly.

Alex straightened, taking hold of Kara's shoulders and pushing her back away. She held her there so that they were eye level with each other. "And that right there is part of your problem, Kara. You always let others dictate your life for you. If you want James Olsen, you have to go get him. You have to fight for him."

"It's not that easy."

"Yes, it is. Look, you let me and Mom and your fear of failure and whatever else keep you from being the hero you were always meant to be, but then finally you said enough was enough, and didn't you feel so much better after you finally stepped out of the shadows and became Supergirl?"

"…Well, yes."

"Exactly! If it feels right, Kara, if it's what you want, if it's what's _in your heart_ , you need to go out there and get it. Don't let anyone or anything hold you back."

"But I can't just… charge in and demand he be with me."

"Well, you _could_ …"

Kara shot her sister a withering look. "But that's not me," she countered. "That wouldn't be right and that's not the kind of person I am."

Alex's expression softened. "I know," she said. "That's not what I'm saying. I just…" She glanced off to the side for a moment, clearly searching for words, before she met Kara's gaze again. "Don't hide, Kara. You'll never get what you want through wishes and hopes. You have to be proactive. So, if there's an opportunity to let him know how you feel, you need to take it, okay?" She gave Kara a gentle smile. "James will follow his heart. He'll do what's best."

Kara returned her sister's smile, though it was a bit meeker than her usual grins, and nodded. "Okay," she whispered.

Alex pulled Kara forward again into a full-on hug. "Worse comes to worst, he won't return your feelings and you'll be able to move on. That's it. Though something tells me that won't be the case."

Kara gave a soft, breathy laugh as she sat back again. Just the thought of being rejected by James made her want to cry and she didn't even realize she had started to until Alex reached forward to wipe the silent tears from her cheeks.

"Hey," Alex said softly, coaxing Kara to meet her gaze once more, "it's going to be okay." She brushed some of Kara's blonde hair back out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You trust me, right?"

Kara nodded. Of course she did. "I wouldn't text just anyone for emergency cupcakes," she weakly joked.

A smirk flitted across Alex's lips. "Good, then trust me on this, okay? Everything is going to work out."

Kara sucked in a shaky breath and nodded again. "Okay."

With a nod in return, Alex smiled and patted her sister on the shoulder. "Good girl. Now, don't you have something you should be doing?"

"Eating cupcakes?"

Alex gave her a _look_. "Kara…"

" _Fine_ , fine. I'm sure Ms Grant is in need of another latte by now anyway." She pouted for a moment before smiling. "I love you."

Alex quickly hugged Kara again, saying, "I love you, too," before she climbed back to her feet. She gathered up her purse and her coat, but paused before turning to the door. She met Kara's eyes for just a moment before she darted forward and snagged one of the four cupcakes.

"Hey!" Kara protested.

"Hey nothing," Alex replied as she took a big bite out of it to claim it as her own, "I bought them."

"For me!"

"I bought _three_ for you. This one is mine." She took another bite. "You're lucky I'm not taking two."

Kara pouted again. "Brat."

Alex pointed a finger at her. "Go to work."

" _You_ go to work."

The sisters stared at one another for a long beat before they both grinned.

With a shake of her head, Alex turned and walked to the door only to pause once she'd pulled it open. She looked back over her shoulder. "Call me later?"

Kara bobbed her head up and down in confirmation. "Yep."

Alex nodded and stepped out into the hall. Just before the door shut behind her, however, she tossed in a quick, "Don't get fired!" through the crack.

Kara listened to her sister's retreating footsteps and smiled affectionately, shaking her head. "Brat…" she murmured.

She ate another cupcake and got ready to go back to work.

* * *

 _A/N's:_ This will no doubt be super AU come the episode "How Does She Do It?" (1x04... though, since it was flipped, it's the 5th episode aired), but I just had to write it anyway. Hope you enjoyed!


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